The invention further relates to a cladding for an aircraft interior, comprising a cladding element and a flap element, which are connected to one another via a hinge.
Such hinges have long been known in the prior art. The gap formed between the hinge parts during the pivoting process can be reduced by the displaceable mounting of one of the two articulation axes of the pivot arm. This hinge can be used in particular in aircraft tables.
The AU 431,315 B2 describes a hinge for connecting a window to a window frame, which has two hinge housings on which two sets of identical pivot arms are mounted. The pivot arms are connected to one another about a common pivot axis. The one ends of the pivot arms are mounted about a stationary pivot axis on the hinge housing, whereas the other ends of the pivot arms are mounted about a displaceable pivot axis on the hinge housing. The movable ends of the pivot arms are accommodated in nylon blocks, as a result of which the pivot movement is braked by means of frictional engagement. What is additionally shown is a way to adjust the frictional forces between the pivot arms and the nylon blocks.
As a disadvantage, in AU 431,315 B2 the frictional force between the pivot arms and the nylon blocks can only be adjusted laterally with the aid of the screw. If the hinge of AU 431,315 B2 were fully obstructed, a subsequent change in the frictional force would no longer be possible or only with great effort. For this purpose, the hinge would have to be demounted and then readjusted. In this procedure, multiple mounting and demounting might also be necessary to adjust the appropriate friction. If, on the other hand, the hinge is not fully obstructed, the adjustable screw is accessible in any position of the hinge, which could make undesirable adjustments possible.
EP 1 857 624 A1 and DE 1 559 816 A1 disclose further hinges.
Furthermore, a different type of hinge for aircraft tables is known from AT 509 093, in which two hinge parts are movably connected to one another via two pivot arms. The pivot arms are substantially U-shaped. In this prior art, the axes of rotation of the two pivot arms are each mounted in a fixed position, but offset with respect to one another.
Especially when large-area or heavy components are connected via the hinge, the problem arises in the prior art that the movable component may abruptly fall into the unfolded position. This makes it difficult to operate the components and can even bring about a risk of injury to the user. In order to avoid this, it is occasionally necessary in the prior art to guide the component manually over the entire opening process.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to alleviate or eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art. Therefore, the invention in particular aims at avoiding the abrupt folding over of one of the components in the installed state of the hinge. In particular, a hinge is to be provided which can be adjusted in a particularly simple manner.
To achieve this object, the invention provides a hinge for articulatedly connecting a first component to a second component, with a first hinge part for fastening to the first component and with a second hinge part for fastening to the second component, with a first pivot arm which comprises a first articulation axis on the first hinge part and a second articulation axis on the second hinge part, wherein the first hinge part comprises a longitudinal guide for the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm, and with a second pivot arm which comprises a first articulation axis on the first hinge part and a second articulation axis on the second hinge part, wherein the second hinge part comprises a further longitudinal guide for the second articulation axis of the second pivot arm, wherein the first hinge part comprises a damping element, so that a displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm along the longitudinal guide of the first hinge part is dampened, wherein the first pivot arm is connected to a brake element which is displaceable along a brake surface of the damping element, wherein a setting element for setting a contact pressure between the damping element and the braking element is provided, wherein the setting element comprises a pressing part, which acts on the damping element, and an actuating part which is accessible on an outer face of the first hinge part, wherein the actuating part of the setting element is arranged in an access hole of the first hinge part, wherein the access hole terminates at an end side of the first hinge part which end side faces the second hinge part; having the features of claim 1 and a cladding for an aircraft interior, with a cladding element and a flap element which are connected to each other by means of the hinge for articulatedly connecting the first component to the second component, wherein the first component is the cladding element and the second component is the flap element.
According to the invention, the first hinge part comprises a damping element, so that a displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm is damped along the longitudinal guide of the first hinge part.
Accordingly, the first hinge part is equipped with a damping element which is designed to slow down or delay the displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm, when the first hinge part is pivoted relative to the second hinge part. As a result, the damping element counteracts the pivoting of the first and second hinge parts relative to each other. Advantageously, an abrupt folding over of one of the components provided with the hinge can thus be reliably prevented. Thus, pivoting the first and second components between a first position and a second position relative to one another can be adapted relatively smoothly. Preferably, the first and second components are maximally pivotable about an angle of essentially 90° relative to one another.
Advantageously, in this embodiment of the hinge the distance between the first hinge part and the second hinge part can be kept low during the pivoting. The first and the second hinge part are preferably designed to be substantially identical. The first and the second pivot arms are preferably likewise substantially identical. The first or second pivot arm preferably comprises two sections which are arranged at an angle, in particular at an obtuse angle to one another. Preferably, the first or the second pivot arm is substantially V-shaped in this embodiment.
If the damping element is arranged at least partially within a recess of the first hinge part, the hinge can be designed in a particularly space-saving manner. As a result, the hinge can be used in comparatively thin-walled components, such as in a folding table for aircraft. Preferably, the damping element is arranged substantially completely in the recess of the first hinge part. In this embodiment, the damping element does not project beyond the outer surfaces of the first hinge part. As a result, the first hinge part can be provided with the damping element, without increasing the installation volume of the first hinge part. Preferably, the damping element is arranged substantially flush with one of the outer surfaces of the first hinge part. Advantageously, a substantially planar outer side of the first hinge part can thus be obtained with the damping element. The longitudinal guide for the first articulation axis is preferably likewise arranged in the recess of the first hinge part.
In order to slow down the pivoting of the first and second hinge parts relative to one another, it is advantageous that the first pivot arm is connected to a braking element, which is displaceable along a braking surface of the damping element. Upon pivoting the hinge parts, the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm is displaced in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal guide. The displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm is transmitted to the braking element, which slides over the brake surface of the damping element. The damping element is preferably arranged in the recess of the first hinge part in such a way that the braking surface of the damping element is pressed against the contact surface of the braking element. As a result, the displacement of the braking element is counteracted by a frictional connection between the braking element and the damping element, as a result of which the pivoting movement between the hinge parts is damped or braked. To increase the friction between the braking element and the damping element, it is favorable when at least one of the longitudinal sides, which extend in the direction of the displacement of the braking element, of the braking element is designed as a contact surface which is in contact with the brake surface of the damping element essentially over the entire surface.
Preferably, the longitudinal guide comprises two guide tracks substantially extending in longitudinal direction of the first hinge part, in which guide tracks the ends of the first articulation axis of the pivot arm are guided. The guide tracks for the first articulation axis of the pivot arm are preferably arranged on lateral delimiting surfaces of the recess in which the damping element is accommodated.
The damping element is preferably made of a damping material which is different from the first hinge part. To increase the frictional engagement it is advantageous when the damping material is softer than the material of the first hinge part in the region of the longitudinal guide or the material of the braking element. As damping element preferably a plastic, in particular polyamide or Teflon is provided.
In order to increase the braking force of the damping element, it is advantageous when the damping element comprises a recess in which the braking element is displaceable along two brake surfaces of the damping element. In this embodiment, both longitudinal sides of the braking element are in contact with corresponding brake surfaces of the damping element, which delimit the recess for the guide of the braking element. The braking element preferably comprises a plate section with two planar longitudinal sides which are guided along planar brake surfaces of the damping element.
In order to transmit the displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm to the braking element, it is favorable when the braking element is connected to the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm. In this embodiment the braking element sits on the first articulation axis which is arranged on an end of the first pivot arm.
To be able to set the braking effect for a specific application, a setting element for setting a contact pressure between the damping element and the braking element is provided. By adjusting the setting element by a user, the contact pressure between the brake surface of the damping element and the contact surface of the braking element can be changed, in order to increase or reduce the braking effect during pivoting of the hinge parts.
To be able to press the damping element against the braking element to a higher or lesser extent, it is favorable that the setting element comprises a pressing part acting on the damping element and an actuating part accessible on an outer face of the first hinge part. For the adjustment of the braking effect the actuating part of the setting element can be adjusted by a user in the longitudinal direction thereof. Depending on the setting direction, the pressing part is pressed to a higher or lesser extent against the side of the damping element facing away from the braking element by means of the actuating part, as a result of which the contact pressure between the damping element and the braking element is increased or reduced.
In a simple construction the setting element is arranged in an access opening of the first hinge part, which access opening terminates at a side surface of the first hinge part which side surface preferably extends substantially in the direction of the displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm. This embodiment has the advantage that the setting element can be designed in a particularly simple manner, however, has the disadvantage that the side surface of the first hinge part, in the installed state of the hinge, is not accessible for adjusting the setting element.
In this embodiment it is advantageous when the access opening of the first hinge part for the setting element extends substantially perpendicularly to the direction of the displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm. When the actuating part and the pressing part are formed in one piece, a particularly simple setting element, in particular an adjusting screw can be used, which is arranged in the access opening of the first hinge part.
In order to make possible the adjustment of the braking effect in the installed state of the hinge, it is provided that the actuating part of the setting element is arranged in an access hole of the first hinge part, which access hole extends preferably essentially in the direction of displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm, wherein the access hole terminates at an end side of the first hinge part which end side faces the second hinge part. In the installed state of the hinge, the end face of the first hinge part is arranged on the first component so as to be freely accessible, so that the damping effect of the damping element can be changed by means of the setting element, without demounting the hinge from the components.
When the first and second hinge parts are positioned in the first position with the end sides arranged substantially parallel to one another, it can advantageously be achieved that the access hole for the setting element on the first hinge part is concealed by the second hinge part. As a result, this prevents an unintentional adjustment of the braking effect in the first position of the first and second hinge parts relative to one another.
In this embodiment, it is particularly favorable when the pressing part is arranged at an angle of preferably substantially 90° to the actuating part, wherein the pressing part is preferably arranged in an opening of the first hinge part, which opening extends substantially perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm.
To deflect the force between the actuating part and the pressing part, the actuating part and the pressing part preferably comprise corresponding conical parts. Accordingly, an adjustment of the actuating part via wedge surfaces of the conical parts can be converted into a displacement of the pressing part in a direction deviating therefrom. Preferably, the actuating part of the setting element is arranged essentially parallel to the direction of the displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm, and the pressing part is arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction of the displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm. In this embodiment, the pressing part can be adjusted via the actuating part essentially perpendicularly to the main plane of the damping element, in order to easily change the contact pressure between the damping element and the braking element.
To advantageously enable the hinge to be mounted on the first and second components in a space-saving and simple manner, the first hinge part comprises, on an end side preferably arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the first articulation axis of the first pivot arm, at least one mounting hole, in which a fastening element, in particular in the form of a screw can be arranged for fastening the first hinge part to the first component. Accordingly, the second hinge part can likewise comprise, on an end side preferably arranged substantially perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the second articulation axis of the second pivot arm, at least one mounting hole for the arrangement of such a fastening element for the fastening of the second hinge part on the second component. In the installed state of the hinge, the first or second hinge part is preferably arranged essentially completely in a corresponding recess of the first or second component, wherein the fastening element is fixed to the mounting hole to anchor the first and second hinge part to the first and second component, respectively. The first and second hinge part can thus be mounted essentially completely within the first and second component, respectively, without increasing the effective size of the first and second component.
In a preferred embodiment, the second hinge part comprises a further damping element for damping a displacement of the second articulation axis of the second pivot arm along the further longitudinal guide of the second hinge part. Such design is particularly suitable for a maximum pivot angle of substantially 90°.
To enable a guided pivoting movement of the first component relative to the second component and at the same time cause the first hinge part to approach the second hinge part upon pivoting the hinge parts in a position arranged in parallel to one another, it is favorable when the second articulation axis of the first pivot arm is arranged on the second hinge part and/or the first articulation axis of the second pivot arm is arranged on the first hinge part in an essentially stationary manner. For the purposes of this disclosure, “stationary” means that the second articulation axis of the first pivot arm or the first articulation axis of the second pivot arm is arranged to be non-displaceable on the first or second hinge part during the pivoting movement.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the first pivot arm and the second pivot arm are connected to one another via a common pivot axis, which extends in a parallel position of the first hinge part and the second hinge part preferably substantially centrally between the mutually facing end sides of the first hinge part and of the second hinge part. The common pivot axis is preferably formed by a pivot pin, which is partly accommodated in the first pivot arm and partly in the second pivot arm. The common pivot axis preferably extends substantially perpendicularly to the main plane of the first or second pivot arm.
In the case of a device with a first component and a second component, the hinge is provided according to one of the previously described embodiments.